As
gifts, puppies might get a chain in the back yard for
Christmas, PETA says

November
20,
2017

A
pet might seem like the gift that keeps on giving, but
with the holiday season on the horizon PETA says it’s
not a good idea.

PETA,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has issued
a pair of Christmas-themed public service announcements
urging people to avoid gifting animals to their friends
and loved ones.

One
features a puppy with a bow around its next, chained to
a stake in the ground, under the text "What did I
get for Christmas? A chain in the backyard."
Another shows a cat on a clawed-up couch, with the
message, "Scratch me off your holiday shopping
list!"

PETA
claims gifting animals is a bad idea is because not
everyone is committed to keeping a pet. That can lead to
animals being turned over to shelters that are already
full, or even people abandoning animals, the group said
in a Wednesday news release.

"Animal
shelters are filled beyond capacity with homeless
animals, many of whom were former ‘pets’ who — for
one reason or another — didn’t fit into someone’s
lifestyle," the release said. "No matter how
much they would like to, many people who receive animals
as gifts find that they’re unable to make the lifelong
commitment to care for their new companion."

The
group also has been campaigning ahead of Thanksgiving,
asking people to consider what it is like to be a
turkey.